


OVERWATCH CHRONICLES: HEROES IN THE SHADOWS (OVERWATCH INTRO)

by Joseikage



Series: OVERWATCH CHRONICLES: OVERWATCH [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Death, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:35:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25652197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joseikage/pseuds/Joseikage
Summary: When our dear reader gets done with their menial job, she decides to spice things up by going to visit a newly established Omnic Museum in Houston, Texas, her hometown. Unfortunately, as it is something that could spark a revolution in two different directions, the Omnic Protesters or the Pro-Omnics, Talon also takes an interest. As she comes face to face with the fearsome agents, she has to make a decision:Make a Stand, or Take the Fall...
Series: OVERWATCH CHRONICLES: OVERWATCH [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859791
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Overwatch is owned by Blizzard! I just own this story and the main character, the Reader, which is technically you, so I don't really own you either, but I wrote this little adventure for you, and I hope you enjoy it! :) I hope it's a nice little escape from the things going on around us right now. Have fun! ^_^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Overwatch, that's Blizzard's creation, but I do own this story and the main character, or at least, I wrote the journey of the main character.

I let out a tired sigh as I sat at my computer, wishing things could be different. The days for me were blending together, each one into the next and I was wondering if things were ever going to change. Day in, day out, I would do the same things: I’d wake up, eat, brush my teeth, take a shower, go to work, go home and eat, go back to work, eat again, brush my teeth, and go to sleep. It seemed like a never-ending cycle of monotony.

I have always been an imaginative, adventurous sort of person, but at that moment, sitting in front of my computer, I wondered what I should write about that would take my mind off of the drab, boring life I lead. I wanted an escape, something to freshen my life and make me feel even an ounce of excitement. I needed to feel... alive.

An idea popped into my head, but as I moved my fingers to type it up, I faltered. An annoyed sigh escaped my lips and I shook my head.

“No, that’s stupid... What was I thinking anyways? Writing fanfiction is a waste of my time.”

I closed down Microsoft Word and put in my Japanese Learning CD to practice instead. For as long as I’ve known how to read and write, I’ve loved studying languages and cultures. It always helped me to feel at one with the world I was in, despite not having enough money to see it for myself.

When I finished my language studies, I turned on my relaxing music playlist and curled up in bed. My cat, Luna purred and rubbed up against me lovingly, trying to cheer me up as tears rolled down my face. I smiled half-heartedly and pulled her close to me, petting her softly as I let my sad thoughts go. Then, I closed my eyes as I tried to dream of a better life for myself; one where I could truly be happy.

My alarm blared, waking me up in the morning as usual. I groaned loudly, threw off the bed covers, and began my daily routine. I turned on the TV as I got ready for work and the news came on.

“Houston’s first Omnic Museum has just had its ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Mayor went out there with smiles and waves, despite the ever-growing tensions between Omnics and Humans in Texas.” The anchor-woman reported. “Here’s what the mayor had to say.”

“Texas may have an uneasy relationship with Omnics, but I’m hoping that Houston can be a safe haven for everyone. It’s time for us to break the cycle and be the change in Texas that needs to happen.” The mayor declared. I stared at the screen thoughtfully for a moment before turning off the TV.

“I get out of work early today so maybe I can go visit this museum,” I pondered as I made breakfast. 

Work went by slowly. I work with kids, and most days it's an exciting challenge, but today, it felt dull and repetitive. At the end of my shift, I clocked out and headed over to the museum. To my surprise, there was a large crowd of protesters outside of it. It appeared that many people were against Omnics. I scurried past them and headed for the door, but was stopped by a burly security guard.

“I’m only here to check out the new museum, I promise, I’m not one of the protesters.” I vowed, raising my arms peacefully and giving him a tiny smile.

“Very well, go on ahead. If you cause any trouble though...” He warned, holding up a finger.

“I promise I won’t.”

He held open the door for me and I stepped inside the museum. It was nice, decorated in gold, silver, black, and white colours with long, flowing banners and posters that had history about the Omnics written on it. There was also some scaffolding set up near a painting of Tekhartha Mondatta, the leader of the Shambali order of Omnic Monks, that wasn’t finished yet.

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure where I stood on my viewpoint about Omnics. I was still pondering whether or not they were actually alive, or if it was the result of their programming making them think they were alive. Ahead of me were at least ten Omnic workers, all keeping busy, but I appeared to be the only Human inside.

“Greetings, Miss. I am Sterling,” a robotic voice jostled me out of my thoughts. I looked over to see a tall, Humanoid-looking Omnic with a nice suit on approaching me.

“H-hello, I’m (y/n).”

“What brings you here today?”

“I was curious about the museum. To be honest, I’m not sure where I stand on the whole Omnic political issue, and I wanted to learn more about Omnics.”

The Omnic gave a light chuckle and then apologised, “Excuse me, I just find that both amusing and very interesting. Most people, and Omnics both, tend to just go along with the first thought they have. They see what others are telling them and follow along with it. It’s how the Omnic Crisis began. I am glad that you’ve decided to learn with us today.” I was surprised at how Human the Omnic really was.

“You’re actually the first Omnic I’ve really met before, to be quite honest.” I admitted.

Sterling laughed again, gave a tiny bow, and then asked me, “Well I’m honoured. Hopefully I’m making a good impression. How am I doing so far?” I laughed along with him.

“You’re doing well. To be honest, just meeting you has opened my eyes to what Omnics are really like.”

“Well,” he began, scratching his head in embarrassment, “don’t base all Omnics off of me. Just like there are kind and cruel people in the world, there are also nice and nasty Omnics. Now then, are you ready to learn more about us?” I nodded and smiled at him and he began to take me on the tour.

We had stopped at the first attraction, a poster of Mondatta and a Human digging up something.

“This is Tekhartha Mondatta and Mayor Nandah at the site of the Turing Green SW0 in London. It was a planned development where Omnics could live and thrive.” Sterling began.

“Was? What happened to it?” I demanded.

“It was attacked by Null Sector, a group of Omnic extremists who believed that Omnic rights should be attained by any means necessary. They took Mondatta, the mayor, and several others hostage and the site was destroyed in the process of getting them back. Overwatch was instrumental in...”

He went on to tell me more about what happened when my attention was drawn to a faint voice that spoke in French, saying, “Dans ma ligne de mire...” “ _In my line of sight..._ ” I turned and looked towards where I heard the noise and a silenced shot rang out, going straight through Sterling with a metallic _clang_.

“No!” I cried out, turning back to him and rushing to his aid as he fell to the ground. I never even worked on a car before, so I had no idea how to take care of him. All I could do was offer my support.

“Hey, you’re gonna be alright. Come on, now, Sterling! Hang in there!” I begged him as sparks dancing off of him wildly.

“We both know that’s not true. Run, get out of here, (y/n). It was a pleasure meeting you...” He powered down and my jaw dropped in shock. 

I turned towards where I heard the gunshot come from to see a blue-skinned woman in a skin-tight suit up on top of the scaffolding with a sniper rifle, and she was targeting all of the Omnics in the room. More silenced shots rang out and more Omnics fell to the ground.

 _I need to do something...!_ I thought to myself as I stealthily climbed the scaffolding. I snuck up behind the purple-skinned sniper and without thinking, I kicked her gun as hard as I could, knocking it out of her hands. It fell from the scaffolding and she turned around and glared furiously at me.

“You are going to pay for that, little fly,” she growled, raising a fist at me. Suddenly, another figure appeared, getting between me and the woman’s fist, catching it before it could make contact with my face.

“No, I have a better idea.” This man spoke with a dark, metallic voice and wore a black cape with a white mask. His appearance alone sent a chill down my spine, and his voice filled me with fear. “Let’s let her take the fall as an anti-omnic protester.”

“Hmph. Whatever you say, _Reaper,_ ” the woman bit back. He then did something I never thought possible; his body turned into smoke and he wisped away down the scaffold and began to shoot up the museum with twin shotguns. I gaped as the woman dropped lithely from the scaffolding and retrieved her sniper rifle.

“You’re lucky I don’t shoot you...”

I rushed down the scaffolding over to the door to try and escape, but the woman shot a grappling hook at me that attached to my foot and drew me backwards.

“I don’t know why you thought that would work. Foolish girl. I locked the door anyways.” She spat at me in her heavy French accent. She tied me up and I glared at her.

“Aww... don’t worry my dear, you’ll be out soon, and you’ll be serving as Talon’s patsy.” She hummed, giving a dark chuckle at the end. She turned away from me and raised her gun, aiming at the rest of the Omnics in the room, taking them out one-by-one. I scooted towards the door, still fighting against my odds while tied up.

“Never give up,” a soft, metallic voice with an Asian accent said beside me. I turn my head to see a crouching Omnic wielding a large, glowing Katana. He sliced through my ropes with ease and bounded away. Rather than escape though, I stayed where I was.

 _What’s going on?_ I wondered as I struggled to comprehend the events that were taking place.

Suddenly, another person, an Asian man who appeared to be an archer, appeared in the middle of the room. He fired at the man called “Reaper,” and the black-cloaked man was forced to dodge his attacks, snaking around with that smoky aura of his. Then, I remembered the blue-skinned woman holding the sniper rifle. She was standing several feet away from me, her rifle focused on the archer.

“No!” I cried out, tackling her to the ground. The silenced shot rang out, but it hit the wall and not the archer.

“That was the last straw, girl.” She snarled, rising to her feet. We both made a leap for the gun, and grappled for it, but she wrenched it away from me, stood up, and aimed it at me. “Bonne nuit...” “ _Good night..._ ” She murmured, pointing the gun at my head.

Suddenly, a shuriken flew out of nowhere and hit the woman in the right hand. Her hand flew away from the trigger and she slung her gun around her shoulder, pulling out the shuriken with her other hand. She let out a growl of rage and quickly wrapped her hand with a cloth. She then whipped around to face her attacker, pulling her gun back out, but he was nowhere to be seen. Then, the same Omnic who cut my ropes off dropped from the ceiling and snatched the gun away, putting the woman in a sort of martial arts body hold, and tying her up.

“Whoa...” I breathed. I looked over to where the Reaper was fighting the archer and discovered the Reaper had the archer on the ropes. “That man over there needs help!” I cried out to the Omnic.

His body seemed different than most Omnics. It was like an infusion of flesh and metal. The lights on his visor and shoulders glowed a bright green, and he looked like a ninja. He nodded at me and rushed over to his friend, the archer.

They battled the Reaper together and he was forced backwards. The archer had careful, precise strikes, which the Reaper blocked with his metal gauntlets, but they served only as a diversion so that the Omnic Ninja could rush in and deliver a blow to the side of his face with a metal fist.

The Reaper flew backwards near to where I was standing, and his mask landed beside him. He got up shakily, spitting a bit of blood off to the side of him, and I saw his face. His sienna-brown skin was littered with scarring and he seemed to wear an eternal frown. However, as his brown eyes met my own and he realised he had been spotted, his black eyebrows narrowed and he snarled at me with teeth bared. 

He slid back on his mask, rose from the ground, and aimed one of his guns at me.

“No one sees my face and lives,” he declared, sounding more ferocious than ever before. 

I backed away quickly, but I knew I couldn't outrun a bullet. I had taken a deep, shaky breath and balled my fists, consigning myself to the end, when the Ninja was suddenly between the two of us, and somehow, he deflected the gunshot just as it came.

It stunned the Reaper, and he wisped away once more like a cursed phantom. I looked over to try and find the blue-skinned woman, but she was nowhere to be found. Then, I spotted her on the scaffolding next to Reaper.

“Let’s go,” she commanded. They took off together, but the archer and the ninja gave chase. I raced after them, determined not to let them out of my sights, but then the blue-skinned woman raised an arm and shot out some sort of grappling hook, and both she and the Reaper escaped.

“Damn it!” The ninja growled, clenching his fists. The archer put his bow on his back and crossed his arms.

“It would seem we were too late...” He lamented.

“Excuse me...” I called out to them from behind them. They both turned to face me. “Did any of the Omnics escape? Did any of them survive?”

The ninja bowed his head gravely and murmured a soft, “No.”

“That's... really unfortunate... but... you guys saved my life. Thank you.” I told them graciously, my voice barely above a whisper. 

“Well, in truth, we have not saved you just yet. People are going to think that you did this. We have to get you out of here right now.”

The archer turned, lowering his eyebrows with his eyes wide with shock and argued, “This was not part of our mission! We cannot just take anyone back with us like this!” The ninja turned, fists balled and faced his associate.

“We _must_. She fought hard against Talon today. She could have tried to run, but she didn’t. Plus, she saw the Reaper’s face. That is very important. Tell me,” The Omnic turned to face me and put a hand on my shoulder, “if given a choice, would you bring justice to the people who did this, even if it was dangerous?”

I thought hard for a second but then faced him with determination and declared, “Yes, I would. What they did was wrong. They killed Sterling and all the others here...”

“Good, then we need to leave.” He scooped me into his arms as the sound of sirens filled the air.

“Wha— hey!” I protested, hanging onto him tightly. He shushed me and ran alongside his partner, where we escaped out the back and fled down the streets. We finally arrived at a black Hummer and the Omnic gently let me down.

“Get in.” He barked. I did as he said, and he drove off. 

“Wait, can we please stop and get some things from my house if I’m going to be staying with you all for awhile?”

“You have half an hour to get what you need and get out.” The Omnic declared, asking me for directions. Once we were at my house, I rushed out the door and began collecting everything I would need.

It was just me at the house, since my mother was at work, and I sighed deeply as I stared over at a picture of the two of us that was sitting on the counter top nearby.

 _When father left us, I wondered where he'd gone... when I leave, will it make her wonder as well?_ I pondered, taking that picture and shoving it inside of my bag. _Mother..._

"Hurry up! Your time is running out!" the grouchy archer griped at me through the front door.

"Almost finished!" I promised, packing the last of my things into a suitcase. When I was finished, my cat, Luna meowed at me. I groaned.

“I can’t leave you, can I?” I scooped her up, put her in a cage and brought her and the rest of my stuff out to the Hummer.

“You brought a cat? I thought we said that you take only what you need,” The archer demanded, eyebrow raised.

“Yes, Luna. I need her,” I stated, putting her in the car.

“Brigitte is going to love her.” The Omnic declared in amusement. When I got everything loaded up, we left, just as police cars came around the corner. “Keep your head down.” The archer commanded. I did as he said until we were out on the open road.

“I haven’t introduced myself. I’m (y/n).” I told them.

“Hello, I am Genji and he is Hanzo.” The Omnic, Genji greeted me. Hanzo stayed silent, staring straight ahead at the road in front of him.

There was silence in the car, and I finally broke it, asking the question I should have asked in the beginning, “So, what organisation are you guys from? I figure you guys have to be from some big wig company or something because of all that just happened. The other guys are called Talon, I know that much. Who are you?”

“We are Overwatch.” Genji declared. “And yes, I know we are supposed to be disbanded, but we were recently brought back together by Winston, another one of our members.” I let out a tiny gasp. I was with Overwatch, the controversial group that saved so many people over the years.

“Cool,” was all I could manage. In truth, my thoughts were racing, but I knew that Overwatch was full of good, talented, amazing individuals who wanted to make the world a better place. I instantly relaxed, feeling safe for the first time during that entire ordeal.

I stayed quiet the rest of the trip, until we got out at a small airport. We headed to the hangar and boarded a giant aircraft.

“We are back, Lena.” Genji called out to the pilot, who was sitting at her seat with her feet propped up on the dashboard jamming out to pop music. She whirled around and bounded over to us, her short, spiky hair bouncing playfully as she spotted me. I waved sheepishly.

“Hello, I’m (y/n).” I greeted her.

“You’ve brought a souvenir, I see.” She joked, smiling at Genji and narrowing her eyes.

“She was a civilian who was caught in the crossfire. She will be blamed for what happened in that museum. Hanzo and I were too late, and the Omnics were slain...” Genji explained. There was a sad look in the woman’s eyes as she walked over and put her hand on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry you got caught up in this... but you’re with Overwatch now. We’ll take good care of you. I’m Lena, but my nickname’s Tracer. Feel free to call me either.” She comforted me.

“Thank you, Lena.” I smiled back at her and looked around in confusion at my surroundings. There was a bridge, a recreational area, a basketball area, a loading dock, and a conference table. I had no idea where I was supposed to be or what I was supposed to be doing and I felt so lost.

“Come on, get ready for lift-off.” Genji called, pulling me away from my anxious thoughts. He and Hanzo were already situating themselves into a flight seat. I sat down and pulled the bar down over my head. It was like one of those seats on a roller coaster.

“You lot ready for take-off?” Lena called out to us.

“Ready.” Genji and Hanzo reported.

“Ready...” I murmured nervously. 

I was surprised that the take-off went so smoothly. When we were airborne, Genji and Hanzo raised the bars on their seats and walked over to different areas of the ship. Hanzo went to the bridge area while Genji walked over and sat down at the recreational table.

I stared at him in interest as he pulled off his mask to reveal a Human face. It was scarred and told the tale of a man who had been in many battles over the course of his life. He had a sharp face with light brown eyes that were almost grey.

“Wow. Cool cyber suit.” I told him, smiling warmly at him. He grinned wildly and let out a loud bark of laughter. The robotic tones to his voice were gone and replaced by a smooth, Japanese-accented voice.

“This is not a suit. I need this to survive. Well, most of this. I can take off parts of it, but I’m a cyborg.”

“Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean... well... it’s still a cool... prosthetic?” I ventured awkwardly.

“Thanks.” He told me, smiling warmly at me. I looked over at the basketball hoop, walked over and picked up a ball. I dribbled for a bit and shot, making a basket.

“Guess I’ve still got it.” I said aloud.

“Want to play a game?” Genji asked me.

“Against a Cyborg Ninja? You’ll totally kick my ass, but sure.” I told him.

“You can have the ball first then.” He offered, smiling slyly at me. I started to dribble it around him, but he went for it, almost snatching it away from me.   
I turned at the last second and my butt slammed into his crotch. I blushed but kept backing him away from me before I turned and shot. I made the basket and cheered victoriously.

“Nice one! My turn.” He dribbled past me quickly and jumped up, twirling around and slam-dunking the basketball backwards into the hoop. I gaped at him, my mouth wide in awe at his skill, and cheered for him.

“That was awesome! How did you do that?” I demanded. He shrugged nonchalantly.

“Being a ninja definitely has some perks.” He joked, tossing me the ball. We kept playing for awhile longer, until it was time for us to land and then we got back in our seats and prepared for our descent. The landing was just as smooth as the take-off and we soon got out of our seats and left the plane. Genji helped me carry my stuff inside from the Hangar. I was amazed at how big the Overwatch facility was.

“Welcome to Watchpoint Gibraltar.” Genji said, leading me into the control room from the hangar. When we got into the control room, Genji fist-bumped a rugged looking cowboy with a metal left arm, who locked dark brown eyes with me, and told him, “Gather up the others. We need to have a meeting.”

The cowboy’s gaze shifted back to Genji and he nodded and stalked off.

Within minutes, everyone was gathered in the control room. All thirteen of them stared curiously at me as I set my cat’s cage down in front of me. I gaped in shock at the sight of a giant gorilla that was wearing glasses. One of the people, a girl with reddish brown hair, brown eyes, and a tattoo of a gear on her left arm, who was wearing a tank top and cargo pants, quickly came up and asked me about my cat.

“Your cat is so cute! What’s her name?” She demanded excitedly, letting my black cat smell the back of her hand before stroking her through the bars of her cage.

“Her name is Luna and I’m (y/n).” I greeted her.

“I’m Brigitte. It’s nice to meet you!” She beamed back at me, extending her hand to shake mine. Just as I was about to shake hers a person clearing her throat sternly approached us. I turned to see a beautiful woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a sharp face standing behind us with her arms crossed impatiently.

“I’m sorry.” I murmured in embarrassment as I stood next to my cat, wishing I was invisible.

“Now that we’re all here,” The stern gorgeous woman began, looking out at everyone, “Genji and Hanzo, would you care to tell us how your mission went?” Genji and Hanzo stepped forward and Genji spoke first.

“We encountered two Talon agents, Widowmaker and Reaper, and one civilian. This is (y/n). She stood up against Talon bravely and stared into the face of the Reaper.” Genji explained.

I waved sheepishly as I felt everyone’s eyes burning into me.

“Wait, she saw the Reaper? The monster who’s been killing Overwatch agents?” A short, bearded man demanded. Genji nodded in response. The first speaker, the gorgeous woman with blonde hair, nodded and smiled over at me.

“This could prove useful. Please continue your report.” She ordered. Hanzo began to speak now, stern and true.

“While we were sneaking up on the Talon agents, we learned that the civilian would take the blame for the Omnic deaths as part of Talon’s plan to stir up unrest. We were unsuccessful in stopping the attack on the Omnics inside the museum. None survived. In the battle with the Talon Agents, Reaper’s mask flew off, revealing his face to the civilian. It was Genji’s idea to take the civilian with us so that she would not be punished for Talon’s misdeeds.”

I got the feeling that Hanzo didn’t approve of Genji bringing me to the base.

“And... there’s no possibility that this here woman’s a spy for Talon, is there?” the cowboy from earlier spoke up suddenly. I gaped at him in shock and he narrowed his eyes at me in response.

“I promise I’m not a spy, if that helps any... but I guess that’s exactly the sort of thing a spy would say, but I—” I faltered at the sight of all of their eyes on me, some piercing, while others were warm and kind. “I’ll just shut up now...” I finished.

“No, please speak. I, for one, would like to hear what you have to say for yourself.” A large man with a German accent and a scar across one of his eyes urged me. He had warm, kind eyes, but they were also filled with worry.

“I’m not really sure how I would prove that I’m not a spy for Talon, but I’ll tell you one thing... I despise Talon. They killed Sterling and all the other Omnics there. Before I went to the museum and spoke with Sterling, I wasn’t sure where I stood on the whole Omnic debate.

You know... whether an Omnic was alive or not? I didn’t hate Omnics, but I didn’t care about them much either, I just kind of respected them and let them be. However, when I met Sterling, it changed my outlook on them. Sterling was alive, I’m sure of it. What Talon did was malicious. It was a massacre. I will not support people who kill like that.” I declared, facing the German man.

He smiled at me, the worry gone from his eyes, and a gentle hand rested on my shoulder from behind me. I turned to see Lena standing there with a smile on her face.

“Well said, (y/n).” She cheered.

The slender, beautiful woman with the sharp face cleared her throat again and announced, “(y/n) will need to stay here until she is able to return to her home. Those agreed on letting her stay here for the time being, give a show of hands.”

Almost everyone raised their hands, save Hanzo, the cowboy from before, the short man with the beard, an Omnic attack bot, and the Gorilla.

“Those opposed?” Hanzo, the bearded man, the cowboy, and the gorilla all raised their hands.  
“Majority rules in favour of (y/n) staying with us. Since she is still under suspicion of being a Talon spy, we will each have to take turns watching her as we continue our everyday duties. Any volunteers to take first watch?”

Brigitte’s hand shot up and she waved it in the air enthusiastically as she smiled brightly.

A sigh escaped the stern woman’s lips and she conceded, “Very well. Brigitte will have first watch. Go ahead and get settled in. I’m sure it’s been a long day for you, (y/n). Dinner is in an hour. Welcome to Watchpoint Gibraltar.”

Brigitte helped me carry my things to her room and get unpacked. Her room was pretty simple. It had a bunch of gadgets and tools neatly organised on shelves, as well as a few posters of popular bands. She left the room and brought in a military-looking cot, some sheets, and a blanket for me to sleep with. She also set up another litter box and some food for Luna.

“Thank you,” I told her graciously as I made the bed and sat on it. "Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without you. I know I'm still accused of being a spy and all, but you've been nothing but kind to me, and I'm really grateful."

"Hey, no worries. I'll take care of you and make sure you feel welcome here," she vowed.

As I struggled to process everything that had happened, I stared off into space, and Brigitte called her own cat over to her and rubbed her head. It had white fur and was really cute. She giggled as she caught me smiling over at her and the cat.

“This is Mitzi. She’s been with me for a long time. By the way, you can let your cat out now, and we’ll sit here and watch TV together,” she told me, turning on the TV. I opened up Luna’s cage and she hopped onto my lap, rubbing her head into me lovingly. I pet her gently and gaped at the bad news I saw on TV.

“This just in, it has been reported that the suspect in the shooting of the Omnics at the museum in Houston, Texas is none other than local Houstonian, (y/n). (Y/n) left work and headed straight for the museum, her co-workers report. The security guard outside the museum had this to say about her supposed actions.” The Anchor woman reported.

The scene flashed over to the security guard who had greeted me outside before I went in.

“I thought she was up to no good. I should never have allowed her access to the museum. If I had known she was with those anti-Omnic protesters I never would have. This has ruined Houston’s chance of becoming a peaceful place for both Omnics and Humans.” He declared, a sullen look on his face.

Tears flowed down my face, and I stood up angrily, balling my fists.

"Liars!" I yelled in frustration as I stared at the TV, wishing that everyone knew the truth.

“Hey,” Brigitte’s voice interrupted my racing, worried thoughts, “are you alright, (y/n)? I know this might be tough for you to watch.”

I nodded, wiped my face, sat back down on the bed, and swallowed back more tears as I admitted, “I just... hope my mother knows I didn’t do this. I wonder what she must think of me right now...”

Brigitte frowned, walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me in a warm hug.

“I’m really sorry this happened to you, but I promise you that we’ll keep you safe until this all blows over and you can go home.” She vowed.

I sniffled and hugged her back, letting the tears run down my face. She pulled out of the hug and looked down at the watch on her wrist.

“Ah, damn. We’re going to be late for dinner if we don’t hurry.” She declared.

“Will... I be welcome there, or should I just take it to go?” I asked her seriously. 

“What? Why wouldn’t you be welcome?” She returned, wrinkling her nose up while a curious expression formed on her face.

“It’s just that... that cowboy, Hanzo, the shorter man with the beard, and the... gorilla... didn’t seem to want me here for some reason. I wonder if they’re upset that I’m here.”

She crossed her arms and stood there in thought for a moment before she held up a finger and explained, “Who you saw was McCree, my father Torbjӧrn, and Winston, and they all probably have different reasons for not wanting you there.

My father probably doesn’t want a civilian here with us because of the possibility of you getting in the way of things, same with Winston most likely. Hanzo is kind of a mystery and mostly keeps to himself, but I’m guessing his reasoning is the same. With McCree, I’m guessing he is suspicious of you being a spy.

McCree _hates_ Widowmaker, that sniper you met earlier. You see... Widowmaker killed Captain Ana Amari awhile back, and she was McCree’s mentor. Ever since then, he’s had a grudge against her.

You were found captured by Widowmaker and Reaper, so it’s kind of suspicious circumstances, you know? But you should be fine at dinner. They’re all good people.” She smiled at me and motioned toward the door.

We walked together down to the dining area and as we got there, everyone’s eyes found me again. Brigitte found a seat and practically pulled me into the one next to her. To my dismay, it was also next to the cowboy and I bumped into him as I struggled to regain my balance from Brigitte yanking me into the seat.

“I’m so sorry,” I apologised quickly, avoiding the cowboy’s gaze. When I finally met it sheepishly, he was scowling and had a scathing look in his eyes. “Look, we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. I’m sorry about that. My name is (y/n).” I managed to say.

“The names McCree. Jesse McCree.” He said in a low, growling voice. I gaped at him. That was a name I had seen on Wanted posters everywhere. He was a dangerous man. I eyed the six-shooter pistol on his hip and swallowed hard.

“N-nice to meet you.” I turned to Brigitte and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Hmm?”

I leaned over and quietly demanded, “Does everyone here know that this man here is Jesse McCree, the famous outlaw?” 

Beside me, I heard a raucous bout of laughter from the wanted man. “You know, I may be many things but deaf ain't one of 'em,” the man pointed out, taking off his hat and hanging it on his chair, “and I’m only dangerous if you screw with me or my friends here. I reckon If you do turn out to be a spy, you’ll see my dangerous side up close and personal.”

“Well it’s a good thing she’s not one. I’m very sure about this, McCree,” Brigitte bit back at him, grinning at the rugged man.

McCree said nothing, just gave a light, “hmph,” and turned away. To my surprise, it was the large German man who cooked the meals, minus dessert; that was Brigitte’s specialty. However, she wasn’t baking just for that night, since she had to keep track of me.

“Hello, miss!” A voice boomed behind me. I turned to see the large, German man smiling warmly at me.

“Guten Abend. _Good evening,_ ” I greeted him. His eyes lit up as I spoke his language.

“Ah, du sprichst deutsch? _Ah, you speak German?"_

I smiled back at him now and admitted, “Nur ein bisschen. Ich habe es mehrere Jahre lang selbst studiert. _Only a bit. I've studied it on my own for several years._ ”

“Sehr gut! _Very good!_ Ich heiße Reinhardt. _My name is Reinhardt._ Sehr nett dich kennenzulernen. _It is nice to meet you._ ”

“Und Sie auch! _And you as well!"_ I told him, smiling. It was nice to be greeted by a friendly face, especially after being blamed for something terrible and then being surrounded by strangers.

McCree stood up beside me angrily.

“Oh, come on now! She speaks German? That just screams spy!”

“I also speak Japanese, Spanish, and French. Not fluently, I’m still learning. I study cultures and languages. It’s a passion of mine.” I said defensively.

“Oh yeah, real convenient, especially the part about you speaking French. What, were you trained by Amélie herself or somethin’? Is that where you picked it up?” He accused.

“McCree... I don’t think you should—” the stern, beautiful woman from before warned him.

“What, Angela? Expose her for what she really is? You all have gone soft. She’s a spy and she needs to be dealt with.” McCree interrupted her, biting back harshly.

I stood up from my chair and faced the angry outlaw.

Our eyes locked, but this time, I didn’t look away as I griped, “You think I’m a spy, but you’re wrong. I’m just unlucky. I wanted to do something new after work to spice things up, so I went to that museum to learn more about Omnics.

Great idea, huh? Now I’m accused of being an Anti-Omnic terrorist! Then, on top of that, I’m brought here to a military compound of some sort and accused of being a damned spy! Sorry, Genji I’m grateful you saved me and brought me here, I’m just a bit overwhelmed.

You want the truth? I hate Talon for all that they’ve done! That damned Widowmaker killed all those Omnics and ran. Fine though, you don’t believe I’m not a spy? Then check me for bugs. Hell, x-ray my cat if you really want to, but I’m going to bed. This day has been nothing but hell for me.”

I pushed myself away from the table and headed back towards Brigitte’s room, but the cowboy’s voice boomed a warning, “You’re not goin’ anywhere. Stop, or I’ll shoot.” I heard a click behind me and knew he wasn’t bluffing.

“Jesse!” The blond, beautiful woman named Angela yelled in shock.

“McCree, don’t!” Brigitte cried.

“McCree, she’s not a spy, I am quite certain of it.” Genji spoke up, rising from his seat. The tension in the room spiked to dangerous levels and my heart pounded in my chest as I faced the real truth of it all...

_Nowhere is safe for me. If this is the end... so be it. I'll take my chances._

Tears dripped down my face and I trembled in fear, but despite that, I turned to face him and said with conviction in my voice, “No you won’t because you’ll be killing an innocent woman. Goodnight all.”

I turned around and walked away, clumsily bumping my elbow into a metal fixture on the wall.

“Damn!” I muttered under my breath as I nursed my elbow against my side and kept walking. When I arrived at the bedroom, I sat down on the bed and pet my cat, who was getting along well with Mitzi, Brigitte’s tiny fur baby.

“Well at least one of us is having a good time.” I said aloud, smiling at the two cats playing with each other. I lie down on the bed, pulled the blanket over me, and fell into an uneasy sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blizzard owns Overwatch, but I own this story! I hope you enjoy it! ^_^
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Death

I was woken up by Brigitte, who gently rubbed her hand along my shoulder and called my name.

“Hmm?” I called out, stirring awake. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I know I told you everything would go alright at dinner, I just had no idea that that would happen with McCree. Anyways, I wanted to know if you wanted to sneak down to the kitchen and get some dessert with me. I know you really didn’t get to eat anything...” She invited. I sat up and stared thoughtfully at her for a moment before politely declining.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t really want to eat anything right now. I’m just gonna go back to sleep, but thank you for the offer, Brigitte.” I rolled over and drifted back into my uneasy sleep.

The next morning, Brigitte lent me some clothing and we headed down for breakfast. I ate quickly, having no desire to bump into that grouchy gunslinger again. Just as I was about to leave the breakfast table, Angela called me over to her.

“Hello Angela,” I greeted her with a smile and wave.

“Dr. Ziegler is preferred. Only those close to me call me Angela,” she informed me curtly. My heart lurched and I bowed my head, frowning slightly.

_I’m... really not welcome here at all..._

“Anyways, Brigitte was with you yesterday, so today you will have someone else. I spoke with McCree last night and he has agreed to take charge of you today.”

My jaw dropped as I struggled to process what she had just told me.

“He hates me and is extremely suspicious of me. Plus, he pulled a damn gun on me! Is it really a good idea for me to go with him?” I demanded.

She shot me an impatient look and sighed as she explained, “He doesn’t hate you, he just doesn’t trust you. We have to be careful with things involving Talon. They utilize awful methods like brainwashing and questionable scientific experimentation. He had a reason for drawing his gun on you. I’m not saying it was a good one, but you should hear about it from him. He promised me he wouldn’t shoot you though and he’s a man of his word.”

I crossed my arms and gave her an incredulous look.

“Oh please,” she said with an eye-roll, “you’ll be fine. McCree is in the training hall in room three. You’ll need to see Winston first though, so he can introduce you to Athena and get a profile set up for you. He’s the gorilla scientist. Also, if you're up for it, maybe you could tell us the Reaper's identity.”

She gave me directions to Winston’s lab and I walked quickly to my destination. I walked into Winston’s lab to see him speaking to Athena in a grouchy tone of voice. 

“Athena how many times have I told you not to monitor my vitals? I’m fine!” He growled, crossing his arms once for effect before turning back to his work on his computer.

I walked over and looked around at his workspace. There were a few banana peels and some empty peanut butter jars lying haphazardly on the counter.

“Hi,” I murmured shyly. The gorilla jumped, obviously startled by my sudden appearance. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just move too quietly sometimes.”

The gorilla turned to me, adjusted his glasses and greeted me saying, “Oh no worries, really. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Winston. Did Angela send you here for help in identifying Reaper?” I nodded.

“Well, that and for you to set up a profile with me. I’m supposed to meet McCree at the training rooms after this. Also, Dr. Ziegler said I was supposed to meet someone called Athena? I heard you speaking with her but there’s no one else here...”

The gorilla let out a snort of laughter and declared, “That’s because Athena is the AI that runs this place. Athena, meet (y/n). (y/n), Athena.” A smooth, female voice flowed through the air.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, (y/n). Would you like a profile with Watchpoint Gibraltar?” Athena asked.

“Yes please.”

“Profile created. You are now free to use the training rooms and other amenities that Watchpoint Gibraltar has to offer. For the time being, your code is 0001. You may change it at any time.” 

“Thank you, Athena,” I replied in awe, amazed at how great technology had become. I turned to Winston and was fixing to ask him if he wanted me to identify the Reaper’s face when I caught sight of several pictures hanging above his computer.

One of them was a Halloween photo that had Brigitte’s father, Torbjorn and Dr. Ziegler dressed up as a Viking and a Witch.

There was a message written on it that said, “Happy Halloween Winston,” with a smiley face on the side. Right beside that one was a picture of Lena and Winston with Lena giving “bunny ears” to the smiling gorilla. Then, there was another picture, I assumed, of Winston when he was younger, alongside a smiling scientist. I smiled at how simple and happy things looked in the photos, and I chuckled at the thought of Dr. Ziegler having fun.

 _She always seems so stern and serious, but here she's... so joyful!_

“I see you admiring my photos. I don’t have many but they’re full of good memories. The one on the other monitor is one of Overwatch in its former glory.” Winton reminisced. 

I walked over and looked at the photo Winston pointed out and scanned it excitedly.

“Whoa! Is that McCree when he was younger? And Lena looks about the same as she is now! Wow... Dr. Ziegler hasn’t aged a day, and even—”

I stopped dead in my tracks as I came across the face of an Overwatch agent I didn’t know who didn’t seem to fit in with the rest. While everyone else was smiling and having a good time, this guy just posed with his arms crossed and had his back turned. What’s more is that I recognised his face.

_“No one sees my face and lives.”_

I shuddered as the Reaper’s cold voice pierced through my mind.

“Uh, Winston. Who is this agent right here?” I asked as I pointed at the man. His combat suit was all black, he wore a beanie, he had dark brown hair and light brown skin, and he had a trimmed beard that fit his frowning face well.

“Oh uh, that’s Gabriel Reyes. He wasn’t usually one to smile, but he was part of the Overwatch family.”

I cringed slightly and carefully replied, “Winston... I know who the Reaper is and... it’s someone from Overwatch. It’s Gabriel Reyes. He’s the man who tried to kill me.”

Winston’s eyes went wide and a snort of surprise escaped him.

“Are you absolutely positive that it’s him?” He demanded. I could tell he was hoping what I said wasn’t true. I nodded sadly.

“I can’t believe it...” he breathed as he stared up at the photo on his monitor.

After a few moments of silence, he turned to me and asked me, “Could you do something for me? I know you’re about to go and meet with McCree, so could you please tell him about Gabriel being the Reaper? He’s going to take it pretty hard, so you need to be gentle with him. Gabriel was a mentor of McCree’s for years.”

I nodded slowly, said farewell to Winston, and began walking in the direction of the training rooms. As I made my way down there, I wondered two things: how I was going to break the news to him and what kind of training he must be doing.

 _He’s a cowboy, so all he does is point and shoot, right?_ I pondered as I rounded the corner to the training rooms. I punched “0001” into the keypad of room three and hit the button to open the door.

“Welcome (y/n).” Athena’s voice rang out. The doors opened and my jaw dropped at the sight laid out before me.

There stood the shirtless cowboy, his muscles glistening with sweat as he practiced his fighting skills against a training dummy. I walked forward and quietly watched as he weaved, jabbed, sucker punched, and then lashed out with a hard kick to the opponent’s torso. The cowboy kept his guard up and was surprisingly agile.

_And those muscles are... wow..._

“Damn...” I breathed in appreciation of the view as he launched another kick that knocked the dummy clean over. He sighed and turned my way, one eyebrow raised.

“’Scuse me?” he demanded. I blushed as I realised I made myself known in the most embarrassing way.

“I—Sorry, I was just admiring your fighting skills. You’re really good,” I covered quickly.

He walked over to me, grunted in acknowledgement and replied, “Bein’ an outlaw can teach ya a thing or two,” before wiping his face and neck with a towel that was hanging on a nearby hook.

I sighed heavily and continued, “Look, I want to apologise for talking back at you last night. I’ve just had a really rough couple of days, but I’m sorry.” A bout of laughter escaped the cowboy and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigars. He gently slid one out and into his mouth and lit it up.

After taking a few puffs of it, he smiled and declared, “If anyone should be sorry, it’s me. I’m the one who pulled a gun on ya. In truth, I wanted to test you and see how you’d respond to it. If you had responded by beggin’ me for your life, I’d know you were yellow and not fit for the life of an Overwatch Agent. If you had responded by admitting you were a Talon Operative, I’d have taken you into custody. I’m still not sure whether or not you’re a spy though. Professional Talon Operatives know how to keep their cool in many different situations. I’ll be readin’ you today to get a feel for ya and then we’ll go from there.”

I nodded at him in understanding and cautiously began to tell the brawny man about his former mentor.

“Hey, I have some news to relay to you. I’m not sure how you’re going to take it, but please just bear with me,” I began.

“Shoot.” McCree commanded, narrowing his eyes at me and taking a huge drag of his cigar.

“Well... I identified the Reaper. However, it’s someone you know... It’s Gabriel Reyes. I didn’t know this until I saw his face on one of Winston’s photos of you guys. I’m sorry, Mr. McCree.”

The cowboy stared into my eyes for several moments, as if verifying my words, and then he sighed deeply, taking a long drag of his cigar.

“Damn... I knew he and Jack had a falling out, but I didn’t know how bad it was. It must’ve been somethin’ awful for him to go full turncoat like he did.” He finished the last of his cigar and stamped it out beneath his boot before pointing at me.

“Get over here and show me what you’ve got,” he demanded.

“What?”

“I want you to attack the training mannequin. Show me what you’ve got.” I walked over and stood in front of the mannequin, thinking about what I would do.

I remembered McCree’s moves on the mannequin, but I faltered, looked over at the impatient cowboy and asked sheepishly, “Yeah, but why? I’m no agent. I’ve only ever taken Karate and Tae Kwon Do, and while I’m a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, it’s been awhile.”

He crossed his arms, picked up a bottle of water off the floor and commanded me, “Just do it,” before he took a swig of it. I took a deep breath and raised my guard, staring at the mannequin determinedly. 

I weaved in an out, bouncing lightly on the balls of my feet and I launched several punches and kicks at the dummy. I gradually made them even harder and twisted my body with the kicks to cause extra damage. I remembered my martial arts training and began to yell into my attacks to sound fierce and provide more power to my moves. Finally, I remembered the move that McCree did just as I walked in and finished with that, letting out a loud yell and knocking the dummy over, just as he had.

I panted heavily and McCree let out a low whistle beside me. He tapped me on the shoulder and offered me his water bottle. I thanked him and took a few sips of it before handing it back to him.

“I guess I needed to let off some stress...” I murmured to him.

“Not bad. A little haphazard, but you’re trainable,” he said, shooting me a crooked smile.

“How are you holding up, Mr. McCree? You seem to be taking the news about your mentor pretty well,” I asked him curiously.

He gave me a piercing look, the smile dissolving from his face as he declared, “Looks can be deceiving, but that man hasn’t been my mentor for many years now. Besides, if he’s the one killing Overwatch agents, then he’s my enemy now. I won’t hesitate to shoot him if he appears before me on the battlefield.”

He looked me up and down and then looked away thoughtfully for a moment.

“Those clothes you’re wearing aren’t fit for working out in. We need to get you some new duds. Let’s go see Lena. I think you’d fit her clothes and I’m sure she has some extras she can part with,” he drawled. He reached over and grabbed his shirt, gun holster, and hat that were draped over a weapons rack, put them back on, and then he led the way.

We walked upstairs to where the sleeping quarters were and he knocked on a door. It opened almost instantly to reveal an energetic Lena standing there.

“What can I do for ya?” She called, smiling brightly.

“Hey Lena! Do you have any clothes I can borrow? I don’t have any that are fit to really work out in.” I shuffled embarrassedly in my spot and waited for her reply.

She giggled, put her hands on her hips, and countered, “What you didn’t think to pack any?”

“No, I didn’t have much time to get packed. Sorry about this.” I quickly apologised.

“It’s no trouble at all, (y/n). Let me get you some clothes.” 

She brought out three colourful skin-tight workout clothes and handed them to me. The first was a black and gold one that was covered in red roses, the second was a bright blue one, and the third was a black and green one. The last two she gave me both had the word “Tracer” across the left leg of the suit.

“Thanks Lena, I really appreciate it,” I called to her as McCree and I left. She smiled and waved as she closed her door.

"Next we’ll get anything else you need for staying here. Toiletries, bath gel, stuff like that. We can see Hana for that.” McCree told me as he knocked on the next door over. No one answered, and McCree let out a long sigh. “She’s over in the break room gaming again, most likely.” He told me in disgust.

“Wait... this is Hana Song, the famous gamer and mech pilot of Korea?” I piped up in interest.

“That’d be the one,” he responded, shaking his head. I smiled brightly at him but decided not to show my excitement I had for meeting her any further. In the break room, there was a large TV, a couch and several chairs, and a large speaker system, and Hana was playing Heroes of the Storm with a man who looked familiar, though I couldn't quite put my finger on where I'd seen him.

“Ha! Top of the scoreboard again!” she cried victoriously as the game ended.

“Hey, you might best me at video games, but when it comes to music, I’ve got the sick beat and smooth flow,” the cute, dark-skinned man with casual clothes bragged beside her.

 _Music? Oh! I know exactly who he is!_ I recalled. He turned as he saw us approach.

“Hey newcomer, how’s it goin’?” He greeted me. “I’m Lucio. Nice to meet you! This is Hana.” I walked forward and shook both of their hands.

“I recognise you both. You’re Hana Song, the professional gamer and MEKA pilot from Korea, and you’re Lucio, the DJ! You guys are awesome! I’m (y/n).” They both smiled and Lucio fist-bumped me. “Hey, Hana I’m really sorry to impose but do you have any extra toiletries I can use until I get my own stuff? I came here kind of unprepared. I didn’t know what to expect to be honest...”

“Sure thing! Let’s go back to my room and I can make you a basket of things.” She and I walked back together and when we entered her room, it was exactly what I expected. She had posters hanging on the walls of the movies she had been in, as well as some really good video games she had played, and there were cute Pachimari on her bed. 

“Your room is super cute!” I exclaimed, watching as she put a bunch of toiletries into a basket.

“Thanks! I decorated it myself.” She handed me the basket when she was done and added, “feel free to come back anytime if you ever need anything else, or if you feel like playing some games with me, Genji, or Lucio.”

“Thanks! I’ll have to play with you sometime, Hana.” She led me back out of her room, where we bumped into Dr. Ziegler.

“Oh, hey Angela!” Hana greeted her before rushing back downstairs. The doctor smiled and waved before turning back to me with a serious expression on her face.

“Where is McCree?” she demanded.

“He’s downstairs with Lucio waiting for me. I was getting some toiletries together with Hana,” I explained.

She frowned and continued, “Well, from now on, don’t leave your escort’s side, even if you are with someone else. Come with me, I’m going to show you to your room.” She walked me to the end of the hall and opened the door to reveal an empty-looking metal room.

 _So this is what they look like when they are unfurnished... How dreary._ I thought to myself as I walked in and put my things down on the bed.

“I’m going to get changed into one of these suits really quickly and then I’ll go back to Mr. McCree.” I told her. She shut the door and I quickly changed into the black and green tracksuit that Lena gave me.

It fit me just right around all my curves, but I was feeling a bit self-conscious with how tightly it gripped me. Still, it was all I had. I sheepishly stepped out of the room and tied my hair back into a ponytail.

“It suits you,” Dr. Ziegler told me, looking me up and down and giving me a faint smile. I was a bit surprised by her praise considering how harsh she had been towards me before.

"Thanks...?" I said hesitantly.

"Is that a question or a statement?" she asked jokingly.

"A bit of both. I'm actually confused as to why you pointed it out," I told her, but upon seeing her raise one eyebrow I waved my hands quickly and shook my head. "What I mean is that... well... you haven't exactly been very welcoming towards me. I mean I know I'm still being accused of being the enemy, but... so far only a few people have actually tried to figure out who I am rather than just be cold towards me..."

Dr. Ziegler gaped at me and then frowned, tilting her head off to the side in thought before fixing her gaze back on me.

"I'm sorry, (y/n). I do tend to be very stern most times towards those I do not know, but it is only to protect those close to me. Until I know for sure exactly who you are, I need to keep my walls up. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do. I'll... try to keep an open mind about all of this."

"Thank you," she said with a smile before leading the way back to McCree.

When we got back to him, she sternly ordered the cowboy, “Keep an eye on her at all times. I don’t have to tell you how important this is.”

He winced, scratched his head, and softly replied, “I only took my eyes off of her for a moment. She was getting bathroom supplies... I didn’t wanna be a part of that.”

I snickered despite myself and they both turned to glare at me. I murmured an apology and rolled my eyes. Then, Dr. Ziegler turned and walked away, leaving me, McCree, Lucio, and Hana standing there looking dumbfounded.

“Alright, you wanna go train now?” McCree asked me, crossing his arms impatiently.

“You bet! But are you sure you want to train a suspected Talon operative?” I warned him, staring at him with a serious expression on my face.

He chuckled and bit back, “I think I can handle you.” There was something about the way he said it that sent shivers down my spine. I smirked at him as we walked back to the training room.

When we got there, he grabbed two water bottles and two towels for both of us and set them down near the training dummy. He took off his hat, gun holster, and shirt once more, in preparation for the workout. He began by having me stretch thoroughly so I wouldn’t tear anything. Then, the real work began.

He first had me practice my moves on the training mannequin again, but this time, he would step in and tell me what I was doing wrong. He also taught me how to steady myself against an attack. When he saw I had those lessons down, he led me over to a fighting ring in the centre of the room.

“Now I’m gonna teach you how to block and strike back.” He claimed boldly. “When I kick at you, I want you to block it as best as you can. We’ll start off there.”

I took a deep breath, got into my solid fighting stance, and readied myself to catch his kick. When it came, I grabbed his leg, slung it to the side, and fell onto one knee as I swung it around, causing the cowboy to slam down into the ground.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry, I didn’t actually think that would work. It’s something I learned a long time ago.”

The cowboy got up quickly and demanded, “Show me that again. Slowly.” I nodded and he kicked at me again. I followed the steps in slow-motion and he was taken down again. 

“Okay, now let me try.” He barked, getting ready. I launched a hard front kick at him and was surprised when he took me down the exact same way that I had taken him down.

Only, when he took me down, he grappled me to the ground, holding me in place with my hands secured behind my back.

“Add this into that little block of yours and it’ll be perfect.” He murmured into my ear. I blushed hard at the feeling of his body leaned into mine, but I shrugged it off as he helped me up and we resumed our practice session. We fought with each other for a long while until a loud alarm began to blare overhead.

“Intruder Alert. Practice Room Three.” Athena warned us.

“But... that’s the one we’re in!” I exclaimed nervously. McCree's eyes went wide and he rushed over to grab his holster, but a wispy, black figure accosted him just before he grabbed his pistol. It was the Reaper.

My heart caught in my throat and I shivered in fear, remembering how frightened I was upon my interactions with him at the museum. Reaper let out a low, raspy laugh that sounded like a cartoon villain.

"I see Overwatch is still using the same code for the new members' profiles," he pointed out, clicking his tongue chidingly, "'0001'... wow. You'd think you all would have upped your defenses in light of all the Talon attacks, but I guess some things just never change."

A snarl escaped McCree's lips and the Reaper suddenly faded out of sight, reappearing right behind McCree.

“Watch out!” I cried just as Reaper materialised. McCree rolled out of the way swiftly, making it over to his gun. He whirled around fired, but Reaper turned into a cloud of smoke. The bullets went straight through him and McCree growled as he reloaded. Suddenly, Reaper tackled the cowboy and they began to grapple for control of the pistol. I watched in horror as they both fought each other, and McCree’s gun was knocked out of his hand.

The Reaper pulled out his shotguns, but McCree quickly disarmed him, knocking his guns to the side and attempting to grapple him as he had me during practice. I stood there helplessly, unsure of what to do. Finally, I realised McCree’s gun was at my feet.

I picked it up hesitantly and waited for the right moment, my hands trembling like mad. The Reaper rolled with McCree as they grappled each other, punching and kicking each other wildly. Then, McCree reached up and yanked off the Reaper’s mask.

“So, it’s true... it _is_ you, Gabe.” The cowboy murmured tiredly.

“It’s me, back from the grave,” The Reaper snarled. Then, to my surprise, he held one hand against McCree’s face and a reddish energy flowed from McCree’s body into the Reaper’s. The cowboy groaned loudly in pain and flailed, but he was pinned.

I raised the gun, cocked it, and fired at the Reaper to make him stop his assault. The energy stopped flowing between them and the dark monster of a man whirled around and, in a flash, wisped up to me, his hand now gripping my own throat.

I flung the gun to McCree and the cowboy caught it and shot the Reaper several more times. Blood dripped on the floor and the Reaper wisped away, fleeing the scene. McCree sat up shakily and coughed weakly.

“Come on, help me up. We have to go and check on everyone else,” he demanded through his slurred speech.

“No way, first we get you to Dr. Ziegler. There’s no telling what that monster did to you!” I countered, sliding his arm around me and helping to lift him up.

He grunted in agreement. We exited the training room and walked together through the halls, heading towards the medical bay to see the good doctor. Along the way, we would encounter some Talon forces, but McCree would raise his gun and shoot them without hesitation, eliciting a small yelp from me.

We stopped and I handed him the bullets he needed to reload his gun. He carefully and weakly loaded it and spun the chamber for effect.

“Hey... don’t you worry... none about me. I’ll be fine,” he told me, holding his gun up and shooting someone behind me. I turned and watched as the Talon operative fell to the ground. Even so, his breathing was laboured, and McCree also fell. I caught him and helped him down slowly.

“Mr. McCree!” I shouted at him.

“Stop it... with the... mister stuff... Call me Jesse or McCree... I don't... care none...” he mumbled as he went unconscious. I checked his heart only to find that it wasn’t beating.

“N..no! McCree! McCree!” I shouted in shock. I sprang into action, ripping his shirt off of him and performing CPR. As I did the chest compressions, I breathed in and yelled, “Medic! I need a doctor,” as loud as I could manage.

I continued the chest compressions and didn’t stop, even as a golden glowing light flowed into the man I was desperately trying to save. I looked up from McCree to see Dr. Ziegler flying towards us with glowing wings and a staff that had a golden substance flowing into McCree. 

“What happened?” She demanded. Tears streamed down my face, but I didn’t stop the chest compressions.

“The Reaper attacked us. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was like he sucked out McCree’s life force! I tried to get him to you in the medical bay, but his heart just gave out! I’ve done two sets of compressions. Giving rescue breaths now,” I informed her. I tilted back the cowboys head, held his nose closed, and breathed into him. After seeing his chest rise and fall, I repeated the action.

_Come on, breathe!_

After repeating this several times, a series of deep gasps escaped him. Relieved tears flowed out of my eyes as he began breathing steadily. Dr. Ziegler gaped at me and placed her hand on my shoulder.

“You saved his life,” she murmured in shock.

“We still have the Talon agents to worry about though!” I reminded her. She stared at me worriedly and nodded.

“Help me get him onto this stretcher. She pulled out a small cube, pressed a button on it and threw it. A stretcher expanded out of it and opened up in the middle of the floor. The doctor and I lifted McCree onto the stretcher, and she commanded me, “You roll it, and I will provide cover fire.” I nodded determinedly with tears stinging my eyes and began to quickly push the stretcher through the halls.

As promised, the doctor fired at the Talon soldiers that got in our way and we made it to the med bay. She quickly hooked McCree up to several monitors that checked his vitals and then she used her staff on him, energizing him once more with the golden glowing light.

“He should be alright now. I’ll keep him under my supervision for awhile though, just to be safe.” She raced over to her desk, pressed a button, and began to speak. “This is Dr. Ziegler. I need a status report. I am in the med bay.” Almost immediately, there was a reply.

“This is Winston, we have successfully driven back the Talon operatives. No casualties. Everyone is accounted for except for McCree and (y/n). Are they with you?” The scientist proudly declared. I sighed with relief and stared at McCree sadly.

“Yes. McCree sustained some injury from Reaper, but (y/n) helped revive him.” Just like that, almost as soon as the attack had begun, it had ended.   
I stayed by McCree’s bedside and helped Dr. Ziegler out with whatever she needed. Then, I sat next to the cowboy’s bedside. As I waited for him to wake up, my head bobbed lightly as I started to fall asleep; the events of the day had begun to take their toll on me.

Suddenly though, he stirred and mumbled groggily, “How...? Where...?” Dr. Ziegler rushed over and checked his vitals, first placing a gentle hand on his chest to calm him.

She sighed with relief and then informed him, “Talon struck our base a little while ago. You went toe to toe with Reaper and he did something to you that stopped your heart.” She placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and smiled warmly down at me. “This brave girl used CPR and brought you back. She yelled for me as loudly as she could, and I helped you out from there. We both raced you here as fast as we could and have been watching over you ever since. You’ve only been out for a few hours. Also, don’t worry about Talon. They’ve been dealt with.”

I smiled brightly at McCree, thankful that he was going to be okay. To my surprise, he turned his head away and scowled.

“Thanks...” he muttered. He seemed to still be wary of me. He went to get up, but Dr. Ziegler quickly pushed him back down against the hospital bed.

“Oh, no you don’t! You are to stay here and recover for a few more days. We still have no idea what Reaper did to you, or what effects they could have long-term.” McCree gritted his teeth in frustration and leaned back, crossing his arms as he scowled off into space miserably.

“Hey... I’m really sorry you have to stay here for awhile, but... I’ll be here to get you anything you need.” I promised, trying to make peace with him and let him know I wasn’t a threat.

Jesse’s scowl shifted to me now, but then it changed into a look of amusement as he said, “Actually, there is somethin’ you can get.” I gaped at him and listened intently, but as the words, “you can get on outta here and leave me be,” poured out of his mouth, I was crestfallen. All I sought was his approval. He was the one person who went out of his way to berate and defame me, accusing me of things that I wasn’t capable of. 

“McCree! (y/n) saved your life! Are you really okay with treating her like this?” Dr. Ziegler demanded.

“Oh please... any spy could save someone just to get a foot in the damn door. I don’t understand how ya’ll could be so gullible to trust her. Until she really proves herself, I’ll keep seein’ her for what she is: a threat.” I gasped quietly and then scowled at him, matching his own threatening stare.

“Whatever, outlaw,” I spat, “you still owe me your life, so when you can, train me well.” McCree scoffed.

“Yeah, I figure I owe you that at least. Fine, but don’t expect me to go easy on you. You’re gonna be hella sore during every waking moment, and you’ll be cryin’ to Doc here to patch ya up every single day.”

We glared at each other, and if looks could kill, anyone else in the room would have died.

“Umm, (y/n), why don’t you go ahead and head to the dining area for lunch?” She smiled at me awkwardly and I nodded, waved goodbye and headed for the dining area, my thoughts filled with annoyance about how hard-headed McCree was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blizzard owns Overwatch, but I own this story! Hope you all enjoy! ^_^
> 
> This is the final chapter of the Intro, so after this point, you can choose which OW character to have an adventure with :) Just as in the other series!

When I got to the dining hall, everyone was in low spirits. No one was injured, but everyone seemed downtrodden and exhausted.

“Hey, just wanted to let you all know that McCree is doing fine.” I announced. Everyone smiled and nodded in recognition but went back to sulking. “No one else was injured, right?”

Reinhardt, who was in the kitchen making sandwiches, peeked his head in and bellowed, “No, Liebchen, no one else was injured, but we are a bit... tired. It’s a scary thing for one’s home to be attacked.”

“But we survived. We fought and we made it. We showed Talon who’s boss and kicked their ass! We should be proud, shouldn’t we? We lived to fight another day!” I declared boldly, meeting everyone’s gazes. Suddenly, Lena’s hand was on my shoulder.

“You’re right, (y/n). Tomorrow we will celebrate, but tonight, we need to rest and be thankful we survived. Come sit with me,” She invited me. I smiled at her sadly and sat down next to her. By the time Reinhardt passed out the sandwiches, the melancholy had reached me as well. I sat there as I ate, wondering what my family must think of me as the news proclaimed me to be a racist extremist.

“(Y/n), maybe you could tell us the story about how you and McCree fought the Reaper. I heard that you saved McCree, is that true?” Reinhardt called from across the table, taking a bite of his sandwich and staring at me expectantly. 

“Yes...” I said hesitantly. Suddenly, everyone’s eyes were on me, waiting for the tale. I sighed and began to tell them everything, from the start of my practice session with McCree, to bringing McCree back to life when the Reaper stopped his heart. Everyone was on the edge of their seat. “...and I was honestly really scared. I’m just glad McCree is alright.” I finished.

I left out the bit about how ungrateful he had been about me saving him, and how he still hated my guts and thought I was a no-good, despicable spy. Reinhardt cheered at my story’s end and everyone else smiled and clapped along.

I blushed, not knowing how to take it and Brigitte came up to me, patted me on the back, and declared, “To Reinhardt, life is one big story. He loves hearing other peoples’ tales of triumph. This story was a great one. You saved our friend’s life, (y/n). Thank you.”

“No, thank you. All of you. I don’t know where I would’ve ended up if I hadn’t been brought here. Probably in prison disappointing my parents... I still don’t know what’s going to become of me, but I know that I’m safe here, so thanks.” I returned, looking out at the faces around the table. I left the table and headed up to my room to think for awhile.

When I arrived, I found that Luna and all her stuff was already brought up by Brigitte.

A note and a basket of bath bombs and chocolates sat on the bed. I flipped open the note and read,   
“Hey (y/n), it was nice meeting you. I know you’re just trying to get used to being here, but here’s hoping you become part of the family. –Brigitte.”

I flipped the note closed and smiled as I began to take the basket to the bathroom in my room. In my bedroom, it was pretty plain, save for a dresser, a speaker system, a bed, a bathroom, and an end table with an alarm clock on it. I opened up my suitcase and pulled my iPod out of a bag, hooked it up to the stereo system, and sang along with the music as I organised my things. Just as I had finished getting the last of my things unpacked, I heard a knock at the door. I flung it open to find Genji standing in the doorway.

“こんにちは. _Good afternoon,_ ” I greeted him. He returned my greeting with a grin as he looked behind me and listened to my music.

“It’s Japanese?” He remarked.

“Yeah. I listen to just about everything, and I speak a little bit of Japanese.”

_“すごいな。Awesome,”_ Genji said with another grin. Then, he got to the point. “I visited McCree in the medical bay, and he told me about what you did for him. Thank you. McCree is a close friend of mine. He still does not trust you, but... I can tell you have a good spirit. How would you like to train with me until he is feeling better?” He asked me, leaning against the doorway boldly.

My grin matched his and I quickly replied, “私は光栄です。 _I'd be honoured._ ” 

He laughed loudly and held up his hands. “Whoa, no need to be so formal! Are you ready to go now, or did you need more time?” I turned off my iPod and quickly rushed out the door with him.

“Ready.”

When we got to the training room, Genji put on some music and ordered me to meditate. We sat side-by-side and closed our eyes together, breathing steadily.

When about five minutes had passed, he ended the meditation, jumping up spryly and declaring, “Okay, now it is time to fight.” He told me to step into the ring and show him what McCree has been working on with me, so I did. Genji let out a small sigh and shook his head in response, looking disappointed.

“McCree never had much elegance in fighting. How about I show you a few things?”

“Like what?” I pressed, staring at the cyborg ninja curiously. He dropped into a horse-riding stance and began doing a furious-looking display of martial arts, which I quickly recognised. “That’s... Tiger Style Kung Fu!” I beamed. He stopped and shot me a proud smile.

“So, you know of that style of Kung Fu?” I shook my head and shrugged.

“I only know how to make and strike with the Tiger Palm, but even then, I’m out of practice. Please teach me!” I begged. 

He chuckled light-heartedly and began instructing me on how to stand. We worked on kicks and stance for a long while and then took a quick break before we got into strikes with the Tiger Palm. Then, he began teaching me a form with the Tiger Style. The way he taught was gentle and sincere and it starkly contrasted from McCree’s gruff orders, constant berating, and lack of praise.

We had been practicing for hours when Genji looked over at the clock and murmured, “Damn.” Then, he turned to me and asked, “Would you like to join me for dinner?” He extended his arm to me and I nodded and took it, walking with him to the dining area. Genji grabbed a picnic basket and some sodas and carried our food on a tray as we walked up to the highest point on Watchpoint Gibraltar. When we came out onto the roof, I paused and looked out at the ocean that surrounded us.

“Wow... we’re really in the middle of nowhere, huh?” 

Genji sat down with the tray as I stared across the sea at the setting sun. Behind us were a ton of different types of plants and a large vegetable garden.

“Yes, I guess you could say that,” Genji replied quietly.

“Is this garden where we get most of our food?” I asked curiously.

“Well, we still make store runs, but yes. Reinhardt cooks using the vegetables from here, and these plants have been engineered to grow all year round. Plus, the weather here is pretty mild most of the time. Mei likes to grow the plants though. She insists that even the slightest actions could help with climate change.”

I sat down on the ground next to him as the wind picked up, gently tossing my loose strands of hair to the side. I redid the ponytail for my hair and smiled at Genji as I got my plate and silverware from the tray.

“Wow, spaghetti tonight! And it’s delicious!” I declared, taking a few bites. Genji had some of the spaghetti and then stared at me with curiosity. “What is it?” I asked nervously, awaiting his answer.

“It’s just that you never once asked me how I became a cyborg.” He said suddenly. 

I pondered it for a moment and then carefully replied, “The question did come to my mind when I first met you, but after thinking about it, I realised that it didn’t really matter. It’s not that I don’t care about you, it’s just that... this is who you are now, and it’s how I know you. I figured that if it was important to you, you would tell me once we got to know each other a bit more. Either way, you’ll still be Genji to me. Not sure if that makes much sense, I’m kind of tired but—”

“No, it makes perfect sense. Thank you for respecting me.” He told me, pulling two sodas out of the picnic basket. He handed one to me and slyly declared, “These are from Hana’s secret stash, and so... are these.” He pulled out a couple of chocolate bars and I laughed in surprise.

“What?! But Genji, isn’t it wrong to steal?” I chided him.

He chuckled darkly and replied, “It is kind of a game between Hana and me. I’m a ninja and she always thinks of extreme ways to hide her stash of snacks so that I can’t get to them. I do make up for it by buying her new snacks every once in a while.”

I smirked at him and opened my soda. Then, he dropped a bomb on me.

“My brother... killed me.”

I stared at him in shock and he continued, “My family, the Shimada Clan, is very complicated. It is an organisation of assassins. My father was a great assassin and as his sons, Hanzo and I were meant to carry on his legacy. In truth, there was no pressure for me to carry on his legacy since I was the youngest, so I spent my time traveling, being with women, messing around; doing anything but being an assassin. I still practiced my ninjutsu but that’s all I did.

When our father died, the pressure on Hanzo was extreme. He needed to sort me out so that I would help him lead the Shimada Clan. He tried his best, but I wanted nothing to do with being an assassin. When that failed, the Clan called for my head.

Hanzo, not seeing any other choice, approached me, fought me, and killed me in our own home. Overwatch brought me back from the brink and took me to one of their labs. They told me that they would save my life if I helped destroy the Shimada Clan and worked with them.”

He balled his fists and lowered his head regretfully.

“I... just wanted to walk again, so I accepted, and they made me a Cyborg, but I was a shell of the man I used to be. I went on many secret Overwatch missions in a group known as Blackwatch. I was angry though, and bitter. I was not the man you know now. When Blackwatch and Overwatch were disbanded, I travelled for a long time, trying to find a home.

Then, I finally met Zenyatta, a travelling monk who used to be with the Shambali, an order of monks. Zenyatta helped me find peace with myself and embrace both the machine and the man within me. I even was able to forgive Hanzo for what he had done.

After much persistence, I finally got Hanzo to join Overwatch, though he is still an assassin on the side.” Genji opened his own soda and took a sip, looking at me with interest.

“Wow, that’s a powerful story of discovery. I’m really glad you found yourself. Being lost is honestly one of the worst feelings... In many ways, I’m still lost.” I admitted, sipping my soda slowly.

“What do you mean?” He ventured.

“I... Well each day, I worked day in day out at a menial job making menial money and it just seemed like a waste of my talents. I didn’t know... I still don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing with my life. I sometimes wonder if my life isn’t wasted on me.”

I stared sadly down at my food and suddenly wasn’t hungry anymore. Genji lifted my chin up, forcing my eyes to meet his in a gentle stare.

“Was this moment a waste?” He demanded softly.

I gaped at him for a moment before replying, “No, it wasn’t.” Part of me wanted to kiss him in that moment, but just as the moment happened, it was over. The sun had set, and darkness had set in.

“It’s getting late. We should probably get going.” Genji put simply, taking his hand off my chin. I almost leaned towards the direction of his hand, yearning for more, but instead, I cleared my throat and nodded.

_Damn..._

“Thank you for training with me and eating with me tonight,” I called as he rose from his spot, collected the tray and picnic basket, and headed toward the door.

“You are most welcome. Thank you for listening,” he told me, smiling warmly at me. As he left, I stayed where I was, watching the first splotches of stars appear in the sky before I got up and headed back to my room.

I took a long, hot shower as soon as I was back, tired of everything that had taken place that day. As the water ran over my body, I breathed in the steam and let myself relax. Images of the Reaper flooded into my mind and I couldn’t shake the thought of him choking me. I rubbed my neck nervously and stopped my shower. I dried off quickly, got into my PJs, and laid down in my bed. Almost as quickly as I laid down, I got back up again.

I didn’t want to be alone. I was frightened and the events of the day had taken their toll.

_Maybe I should try and stay with Genji or Brigitte tonight..._ I thought to myself, sliding into my slippers and kissing Luna goodnight. I walked out the door and down the hallway to where I thought Genji’s room was.

_I thought I saw him go into that room, but maybe it was the one next to it..._ I tried the first door, knowing that if it wasn’t Genji’s room, I could always just ask for directions to it. To my surprise, and utter horror, it was Hanzo, his brother, who answered the door. He was wearing a loose, black T-Shirt and matching sweat pants. My heart pounded in my chest.

_Grouchy murderous archer! Oh no..._

“Yes?” He demanded, staring at me with a piercing expression on his face.

“I uh... got the wrong room. I was... umm... I—”

“Is there anything I can help you with?” he interrupted impatiently.

Not wanting to ask for directions to his brother’s bedroom, I blurted out, “I’m not feeling well. The events of today have taken their toll on me and I just... really don’t want to be alone right now.” He stared at me for a moment more, this time though, there was a spark of curiosity within his eyes. Then, he opened his door wider and beckoned me inside. 

I walked in slowly and was surprised at his décor. There was a giant portrait of two dragons on his wall, a few bonsai trees. A wall-scroll with the Kanji for “honour,” and one with the Kanji for “strength,” hung next to the bed, one on each side. Everything was neat and orderly and there was even a coffee machine in his room and a small table with two cushions at it.

“Please, have a seat,” he told me motioning at the table. I sat down slowly and shakily, not knowing what to make of Hanzo. “Would you like some tea? I was just about to make some for myself.” He offered, walking over to the coffee machine.

“Yes, please.”

It was quiet while he made the tea, and when he brought it over and sat it in front of me, I smiled and thanked him. He sat down across from me on the other cushion and said nothing.

“すみません。 _I'm sorry (for imposing)._ 島田ーさんのおもてなしをありがとうございました。 _Thank you for your hospitality,_ ” I told him, taking a small sip of my tea and burning the tip of my tongue.

“ううん。 _No (problem,)_ ” he murmured, sipping his tea slowly. I secretly wondered how he wasn’t burning his mouth on it. 

“なぜあなたは怖いのですか？ _Why are you scared?"_ He asked me, staring intently at me.

I stared thoughtfully at him for a moment and then replied, “私は今日攻撃されました。 _I was attacked today._ 私は考え続けます、「それが再び起こるならどうですか？」。 _I keep thinking 'what if it happens again?' '_ 私はまだ私の喉の周りに彼の手を感じることができます。 _I can still feel his hand around my throat._ ”

I tried to keep from crying, but the tears slid down my cheeks before I could hide my face. I quickly wiped them and as I looked up at Hanzo, I could see him looking away from me out of respect.

“今夜ここで寝ることができます。 _You can sleep here tonight._ 私があなたを守ります。 _I will protect you,_ ” he vowed. He continued sipping his tea and I was surprised at how stoic he was.

“本当に、すみません。 _Really, I'm sorry (for imposing),_ ” I thanked him, blowing on my tea and drinking it with shaking hands. When I was finished, he took the cups back and placed them on the counter. Then, he got me a pillow and a blanket and let me sleep on the floor next to the table. When we were both settled in, he turned out the lights

“おやすみなさい。 _Good night,_ ” I called out to him.

“おやすみ。 _Night,_ ” he answered me. 

I thought about the story Genji had told me, and though I didn’t doubt anything he said to me, I couldn’t believe that this Hanzo, who let a frightened woman sleep in his room with him, was the same one who killed his own brother.

_He probably changed, just like Genji did._ I noted. Feeling safe and secure, I drifted off into a deep sleep.

The smell of hot tea filled my nostrils and stirred me awake. I looked over to see Hanzo, dressed in casual clothing, sweatpants and a black T-shirt, having a cup of tea. He sipped it quietly, staring off for a few moments before his eyes darted over to me.

“Good, you are awake. I know you have been training with my brother and McCree, but would you like to join me this morning?”

“Sure,” I answered back, shooting him a smile. He nodded his head and went back to thoughtfully sipping his tea. I quickly folded the blanket he gave me and placed it and the pillow by the table. “Let me return to my room and slip into something more suitable for working out in.” I excused myself, walking out the door.

I couldn’t believe that I agreed to train with him, knowing what he did to Genji, his own brother. Still, I knew he didn’t deserve to be judged based on what he did in the past. He deserved a chance.  
I got changed into the rose-covered tracksuit Lena gave me and then headed back to him.

We walked together to the training rooms and got settled into room one.

As we walked in, Hanzo called out, “Athena, set up target practice.”

All around us, the room shifted and changed. Mannequins appeared in various locations in the room and the room quickly became a shooting range that included moving targets. Then, Hanzo pulled a small cube out of his pocket. He pressed a button on the side and threw it on the ground in front of him. I watched as it expanded and grew into a long, rectangular box, and I recognised the technology as the same thing Dr. Ziegler had used to make the stretcher for McCree. Hanzo gently opened the box to reveal a blue recurve bow and a set of arrows.

“This is Storm Bow,” he declared, brandishing it. “Have you ever shot a bow before?” He asked, staring at me with a piercing gaze.

“I actually used to teach children how to shoot at the place where I work! Err... worked...” I said proudly, becoming a bit discouraged as I remembered my life had been flipped upside down and I no longer could resume my work with children.

He grunted in response and handed me the quiver and bow. “We shall do some archery training today.”

“Awesome,” I murmured, taking the quiver from him and wrapping it around me. I gently took the bow and held it up, examining it before walking over to where the ranged targets were and notching an arrow into Storm Bow. I took a deep breath as I pulled the string back and aimed and then I released, letting the arrow fly through the air and hit the target, almost in the centre. It hit the yellow in the third ring from the middle.

I notched another arrow and went to fire when Hanzo pressed himself flush against me and straightened my form up.

“More like this...” He told me, wrapping his arms around mine and fixing my posture. “Now, release!” he commanded.

I blushed and held my breath, struggling to focus on the target, versus on his body against mine. I did as he said, and the arrow flew straight into the centre of the target. I let out my breath and smiled victoriously at the target ahead of me. Hanzo stepped back from me and ordered me to keep firing. Eventually, we went to the moving targets and after a few tries, I was able to hit almost every one of them. We kept practicing until it was time for lunch.

“今日は私を訓練してくれてありがとうございます。 _Thank you for training me today,_ ” I told him, smiling warmly at him.

He met my gaze for a few moments before turning to pack up his bow and murmuring, “全く問題無い。 _Not at all._ ”

“I really appreciate you training me today. I will see you at lunch, okay?” I told him graciously, bowing deeply. He turned and waved as I left. I hurried to the dining room first, hoping to get lunch first, and I was greeted by Reinhardt.

“Hallo, Liebchen! _Hello, dear!_ Would you mind running an errand for me?” he asked, finishing what appeared to be the last of four wrapped sandwiches.

“Sure, I don’t mind! What’s the errand?” I inquired, leaning against the counter.

“I was going to take this to the medical bay for McCree, but he would probably prefer the company of a beautiful woman instead. Tell him it’s brisket, his favourite!” Reinhardt explained. I blushed at his praise of me and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

“I mean... probably, but he definitely doesn’t consider me to be beautiful. He still... thinks I’m a spy... He was less than happy with me for offering to help him out with his recovery.” He smiled sadly and put a hand on my shoulder sympathetically.

“Jesse is not the easiest to get along with at times, and it takes him a while to get attached to people but believe me when I say that once he does, he will be your fiercest friend and protector. You should give him a chance.” 

He placed the sandwiches, along with several sodas, inside of a plastic bag and handed it to me.

“One sandwich is for you, Liebchen, the second is for McCree, and please give the third one to Genji. He is also down there visiting. The fourth one is for the doctor! Tell McCree his is brisket, his favourite! Take care!” He went back to making sandwiches for the other members of Overwatch and I stared at the bag in my hand.

I sighed deeply and trudged reluctantly to the medical bay, not wanting to see the cantankerous gunslinger.

_All he does is suspect me of everything bad in the world and threaten me... Why should I bring him lunch?_ I grumbled internally as I rounded the corner. _Well.. I suppose I’m also bringing lunch for Dr. Ziegler, and Genji! He’s a nice man._ I sped up my pace at the thought of speaking with the amiable cyborg, but stopped just outside of the door as I heard his and McCree’s hushed voices. 

“You should really give her a chance you know... You have been very... harsh... with her,” Genji was defending me.

The cowboy let out a sharp scoff and growled, “Oh, yeah, sure. I’ll give her a chance to kill me and everyone else I hold dear. Do you not remember Amélie? She was a real sweetheart until Talon got ahold ‘a her. Then, she killed Gérard Lacroix in his sleep!” I bit my lip and turned my eyes down to the ground sadly.

_He really thinks I’m capable of doing all of that? He thinks I’m that type of person...?_

“I’m tellin’ ya Genji, we need to keep our guard up. She’s hella broken and there’s no tellin’ when she could strike.” He finished. I frowned at the ground angrily.

_He really has it out for me..._

“You are right, McCree, she is broken. However, she is nothing like Amélie. Amélie had a broken mind; (y/n) has a broken spirit, and your accusations, belittlement of her, and all the negativity in general that pours out of your mouth directed at her just serves to make her more upset. It is possible that your very attitude towards her could be enough to drive her to join Talon of her own volition.”

_I would never...! But... do I really have a broken spirit? What the hell does that even mean anyways?_

“And I am very certain that this conversation is not helping her much at all, considering the fact that she is standing at the door listening to it.” 

_Shit!_

I trudged into the room and murmured sheepishly, “Sorry... I just heard you talking about me and was curious is all... I apologise, it was rude to eavesdrop...”

“Right... Not spyin’ at all then?” McCree bit back at me.

“What the hell is your goddamned problem?!” I screeched at him, glaring profusely. He met my glare with his own and I gritted my teeth.

Unbeknownst to me, Dr. Ziegler was also in the room, working at her computer, but I jumped in fear as she slammed her hand down on her desk and whirled around, an angry expression on her face.

“Alright you two! Enough is enough! I am trying to conduct my tests properly and examine the data I have collected from Jesse! Settle down!” Both of us murmured an apology and she went back to her work. I then walked over to her and placed her sandwich and a soda on the table.

“Here’s your food from Reinhardt. He asked me to bring everyone’s.” I walked over to Genji and handed him his, and then finished with McCree’s.

“It’s brisket. Reinhardt says it’s your favourite,” I remarked, glowering at him. I waited for him to take a bite before saying, “Rest assured that your sandwiches are fine, except for McCree’s. I poisoned his, of course.”

McCree suddenly choked on his food, eyeing me angrily. Genji burst into laughter and I followed suit, bumping fists with him. Dr. Ziegler sighed as she turned back around and looked over at Genji chidingly.

“Don’t encourage her... please.”

“Hey, McCree does that enough already!” he countered with a good-natured shrug as he continued to eat his sandwich.

The doctor now turned to the grumpy cowboy and declared, “The test results were inconclusive. You’re going to have to be here for one more day. I need to get a better look at things.”

“Doc, I told you, I’m fine! Clear me for duty, already!” McCree griped back.

“Not a chance, Jesse. I want you here at least for one more day! I need to monitor your vitals in case of a relapse and run a few more tests. We still don’t know what Gabe did to you!” Dr. Ziegler bit back, glaring at him impatiently. Genji was shaking his head by McCree’s side.

“One more day would not hurt, McCree. Just one. Have patience,” he tried to soothe the rowdy gunslinger.

“I’m afraid the word ‘patience’ just isn’t in my vocabulary,” McCree quipped, bringing a cigar to his lips and lighting it as the doctor had turned around to look at her computer once more. When she turned back around, an angry snarl escaped her lips.

She started to walk over to the cowboy, but I intercepted, pulling the cigar out of his mouth and stomping on it. McCree stared at me in shock for a moment and then glared at me with glittering eyes.

“You know, I’ve killed people for less ‘n that...” he threatened.

“Oh please. By all accounts, I just saved your life. I’m sure the Doctor would have done much worse to you,” I murmured, smiling innocently at him. Then, I turned to the doctor who had her arms crossed but was smiling at me.

“You two,” she told us pointing at me and Genji, “make sure that cowboy stays right where he is. I’m going down to the dining hall to take a break from my research,” she ordered, grabbing her sandwich and soda off her computer desk. I saluted her as she walked away and sat down next to McCree’s bedside with Genji. I took several bites of my own sandwich and sighed.

“It sucks that you have to stay here till tomorrow. I’m sorry,” I said to McCree in between bites.

“Well, I reckon I’ve survived worse things, but it is a pain in the ass.” He griped as he ate. Genji finished his sandwich quickly and then stood up.

“I guess I’ll be going now.” He declared, throwing his trash away and bowing to the both of us. I stared after him and then looked back over at McCree.

_I think... they're finally starting to trust me a little bit more as it seems I have more options now. I could either stay with McCree, go with Genji, or even explore more of the base and hang out with other Overwatch members!_ I thought to myself excitedly.


End file.
